Adjustable wall sleeve



Sept 5, l967 w. J. KRAUS ADJUSTABLE WALL SLEEVE Filed March l2, 1965INVENTOQ WALTER J, KIQ/m5 UnitedStates Patent O This invention relatesto a novel adjustable light trans# mitting wall sleeve.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a decorativewall sleeve having standard dimensions which can be adjusted to litwithin walls of various thicknesses.

It is a further object of this invention to provide in an adjustablelight transmitting wall sleeve a means for minimizing the transfer ofheat therethrough.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide an adjustable Wallsleeve having light transmitting panels therein to provide a lighttransmitting means for the sleeve and providing means whereby the panelsmay be easily removed for cleaning or the like.

More particularly this invention relates to and has the object ofproviding a telescopic adjustable light transmitting wall sleevecomprised of inner and outer members relatively movable to each otherhaving means for insulating the members from each other and havingpanels at each end thereof for the transmission of lightr therethrough.

yOther objects and advantages of this invention will become apparentfrom the following detailed description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 shows a perspective view of the wall sleeve of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of the wall sleeve taken along line 2--2 ofFIGURE l; and

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view of the wall sleeve taken along lines 3 3 ofFIGURE 2.

While an illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in thedrawings and will be described in detail herein, the invention issusceptible of embodiment in many different forms, and it should beunderstood that the present disclosure is to be considered as anexemplifcation of the principles of the invention and is not intended tolimit the invention to the embodiment illustrated. The scope of theinvention will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, it can be seen that one embodiment of thewall sleeve of this invention can take a generally rectangular form forpositioning within a rectangular hole in a wall or the like. Manydifferent shaped sleeves are possible and are contemplated by thisinvention. The wall sleeve is formed of an outer wall section and aninner wall section 11, the inner section being smaller than said outersection and movable therein to form a telescopic type rectangular wallsleeve. A plurality of air sealing gaskets 12 are disposed continuouslyabout the gap between the relatively movable inner and outer wallsections. The sealing gaskets are retained between the wall sections bya plurality of grooves 13 about the inner surface of the outer wallsection. The sealing gaskets provide means to facilitate the relativemovement of the wall sections, completely insulate the sections fromeach other, and minimize the loss from the transfer of heat or cold fromopposite sides of a wall 14. The Wall sections are provided with flanges16- and 17 disposed about the outer edges thereof and extendingtransversely away from the wall sections for seating the adjustable Wallsleeve against the outer surfaces 18 and 19 respectively of the wall 14.

The wall sections are provided with flanges 21 and 22 disposed about theouter edges thereof and extend- ICE ing transversely to the center ofthe wall sleeve. Light transmitting panels 23 and 24 are fitted withineach of the wall sections and abut the inner surfaces of the anges 21and 22 respectively. The light transmitting panels are yieldablyretained Within the wall sections by spring clips 26 attached to theinner surfaces of each of the wall sections to urge the lighttransmitting panels against the lflanges 21 and 22. In the event thatthe inner surfaces of the light transmitting panels need to be cleanedor polished, one end of the panel as at 24a can be forced inwardly inthe direction of arrow B against the spring clip 26. The spring clipwill yield a sufficient amount so that the other end of the panel as at24b can be moved out of its abutting engagement behind the flange 21.

The wall sections of the telescoping wall sleeve of this invention arepreferably fabricated of sheet metal, extruded aluminum, plastic or thelike to provide an easily constructed, light-weight, easily positioned,and decorative wall sleeve. The light transmitting panels are preferablymade of translucent etched or glazed material to permit the passage oflight therethrough, but to provide for suicient privacy.

In the construction business, walls of various thicknesses areencountered even on the same job. A plurality of the standard wallsleeves of this invention can be kept in inventory and be made readilyavailable for positioning within a wall of any desired thickness. Thesleeve can be placed and retained in a desired position while a wall ofa desired thickness is built around the sleeve. In addition, the innersleeve 11 can be removed from engagement within the outer sleeve 10whereupon the outer sleeve can be inserted within the hole cut in anappropriate wall. The outer sleeve is inserted into the wall until theange 17 seats'against the outer surface 19 of the wall 14. The innerwall section can then be inserted into the outer wall section until theange 16 seats against the other wall surface 18. The light transmittingpanels 23 and 24 can be positioned within their respective wall sectionseither prior to or after the positioning of the wall sleeve in the wall,by the use of the spring clips 26.

A simply constructed, easily assembled, light-weight and decorativeadjustable wall sleeve for positioning within walls of variousthicknesses has been provided. Additionally, the wall sleeve providesfor the transmission of light therethrough, minimizes the loss from thetransfer of heat and cold therethrough, and provides for easy cleaningof the light transmitting panels provided therein.

I claim:

1. An yadjustable wall sleeve comprising: an outer wall section; aninner wall section movable in said outer Wall section; a sealing gasketdisposed between said inner and outer wall sections providing an airseal and aheat conduction insulation between said sections maintainingsaid sections out of contact with each other at all times as well asguiding said sections for relative movement out of contact with eachother; and light transmitting panels disposed within each of said wallsections adjament the outer peripheries thereof to provide a lighttransmitting means for said sleeve.

2. An adjustable wall sleeve as in claim 1 including means for retainingsaid gasket between said wall sections.

3. A telescopic -adjustable wall sleeve for positioning within anopening in walls of various thicknesses and having inner and outer wallsections relatively movable to each other;` a sealing gasketdisposedbetween said inner and outer wall sections providing an air seal and aheat conduction insulation between said sections maintaining saidsections out of contact with each other at all times as well as guidingsaid sections for relative movement out of contact with each other; andlight transmitting panels disposed at each end of said wall sleeve toprovide a light transmitting means for said sleeve.

4. An adjustable wall sleeve for positioning within an opening in wallsof various thickness comprising: an outer wall section and an inner wallsection movable in said outer wall section, each of said wall sectionsbeing provided with a ange about the outer edge thereof extendv ingtransversely away from said wall section for seating said adjustablewall sleeve against the outer surfaces of a Wall, and each of said Wallsections being provided with a second flange about the outer edgethereof extending transversely toward the center of said opening; atranslucent panel disposed within each of said wall sections abuttingthe inner surface of said second flanges; spring means disposed aboutthe inner surface of each of said wall sections adjacent said secondanges for yieldably retaining said panels against the inner surfaces ofsaid flanges; a heat insulating sealing gasket disposed between saidinner and outer wall sections maintaining s aid wall sections out ofcontact with each other at all times; and a groove disposed about theinner surface f said wall section for -retaining siad gasket therein.

5. An adjustable sleeve for positioning within an opening in a wall orthe like, comprising: an outer wall section; an inner wall sectionmovable in said outer Wall section; flange means disposed about theouter edge of said wall sections extending transversely towards thecenter of said opening; a light transmitting closure panel disposedwithin each of said wall sections abutting the inner surface of saidflange; and a plurality of spring clips for yieldably retaining saidlight transmitting panels against said inwardly extending ange means,said spring clips permitting removal of said closure panels out ofabutment against said flange means by forcing said panel inwardlyagainst said spring clips and moving said panel away from the innersurface of said ange means past said spring clips.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 977,276 11/1910 Crowley 285-191,780,852 11/1930 Sullivan 52-475 FOREIGN PATENTS 545,027 8/1957 Canada.704,248 2/ 1931 France.

JOHN E. MURTAGH, Primary Examiner.

C. G. MUELLER, Assistant Examiner.

4. AN ADJUSTABLE WALL SLEEVE FOR POSITIONING WITHIN AN OPENING IN WALLS OF VARIOUS THICKNESS COMPRISING: AN OUTER WALL SECTION AND AN INNER WALL SECTION MOVABLE IN SAID OUTER WALL SECTION, EACH OF SAID WALL SECTIONS BEING PROVIDED WITH A FLANGE ABOUT THE OUTER EDGE THEREOF EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY AWAY FROM SAID WALL SECTION FOR SEATING SAID ADJUSTABLE WALL SLEEVE AGAINST THE OUTER SURFACES OF A WALL, AND EACH OF SAID WALL SECTIONS BEING PROVIDED WITH A SECOND FLANGE ABOUT THE OUTER EDGE THEREOF EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY TOWARD THE CENTER OF SAID OPENING; A TRANSLUCENT PANEL DISPOSED WITHIN EACH OF SAID WALL SECTIONS 